Car-transfer apparatus



Au I 23, 1927.

L. E. ENDSLEY CAR TRANSFER APPARATUS Filed Aug. 31. 1926 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Aug. '23, 1927.

E. ENDSLEY CAR TRANSFER APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug 51; 1926 \IIIIll-lllal l-ll INVENTOR ill) Patented Aug. 23, 1927.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS E. ENDSLEY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO FORT PITT MINE EQUIPMENT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-TRANSFER APPARATUS.

Application filed August 31, 1926. Serial No. 132,696.

, My invention relates to car transfer apparatus, and particularly to a chain rail conveyer, wherein chain links are provided with rail sections upon which the wheels of a car may be supported and transferred from one position to another. h

My invention has for one of its objects, the provision of a form of apparatus, whereby cars may be moved from a pair of fixed track railsto the rail sections of the chainlinks, without interfering with the movement of said links and without danger of derailment of the car.

Another object of my invention 18 to simplify and improve generally the structure and operation of car transfer apparatus.

Briefly stated, my invention comprlses the provision of rail approach structure that may support either the flanges of the wheels alone, or support both the flanges and treads of the wheels when the car. 18 entering upon the conveyer. This rail approach may be 1n the form of an extension of the fixed track rails or be made separately therefrom and interposed between said rails andsaid conveyer. L i

One form which my invention may take is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of transfer apparatus embodying my invent10n; Fig.' 2 is a side elevational view thereof; F1g. 3 1s a plan View, on an enlarged'scale, of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1; F1g. 4 1s a side elevational view of the apparatus of Fig. 3, and Figs. 5, 6 and-7 are views taken on the lines VV, VI-VI and TIL-VII, respectively, of Fig. 3, and on a still further enlarged scale. v

For the purpose of lllustratlon, I have shown my invention in connectlon wlth a chain rail haul for mine carslO, that are provided with the usual flanged wheels .and are :movedto and from the conveyer over the usual stationary track rails 11 and 12. The rails 11 are shown as lying in a plane lower than. that of the rails 12. Track aproaches or point rails 13 are pro'vlded 1ntermediate the rails 11 and the conveyer, and

are of such form, as hereinafter described in detail, that the cars can be readily transferred from the rails to the conveyer. Point rails 14 are provided for supporting the car wheels when they pass from'the conveyer to the fixed rails12.

The conveyer is composed of a suitable framework 15 in which a driving shaft 16 and a driven, shaft 17 are j ournaled, the shaft 16 being driven from any suitable source of power (not shown). A pair of sprocket wheel devices 18 is mounted upon each of the shafts l6 and 17, such sprocket wheels being shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4 and being provided with axially spaced disc-like members having recesses 19 that serve as pockets for rollers 20 which are carried on shafts 21 that are pivotally connected to links 22 whose upper portions, as shown in 22 in Fig. 5 are in theform of rail heads.

When the rollers enter the upper chain flights they pass between the flanges of channel irons 23 and 2 1, which serve to guide the supportingrollers 20 and their links 22 in proper vertical and lateral position so that a vertically rigid support is provided for the car wheels, and so that spreading of the chains and consequent derailment of the cars is avoided. The lower chain flights are guided by channel irons 25'which prevent sagging and swaying of the lower idling chain flights The rail heads of the links 22 are of such form that a substantially continuous track for the car wheels is formed by those links which lie in the upper chain flights at any given period. Stops or horns '26 are pivotally or otherwise secured to certain of the chain links so that as the sprocket wheels 18 are driven in a counter-clockwise direction, a car moving from the lower track rails '11 and the conveyer will be held by the horns 26 against backward movement until it has been deposited upon the rails 14 and 12. On the other hand, if a car is to be transported from the higher rails 12 to the lower rails 11, the direction'of movement of the conveyer is reversed, and 'the horns 26 prevent movement of the car independently of the conveyer. v

The point rail members 13 and 14 are f similar construction so that a description of the members 14 will suffice for both- The members 14: have web portions 28 that are riveted or bolted to the framework and are each provided with a head portion 29 that serves as a continuation of the adjacent fixed track rail 12. The rail members 14 are cut away forwardly of their head p0rtions 29 as indicated at in Fig. 3 so that the rail head portions 22 of the links 22 can pass around the sprocket wheels 18 and their upper surfaces be brought into approximate alinement with the tops of the rail members 12 and 29.

The cutting away of the rail members 29 at'30 leaves insuflicient material to properly support the treads of the wheels of heavy cars or locomotives, and I therefore the chain rails 22. The forward ends of the rail approaches 13 and 31 are rigidly supported upon cross beams 1'5 of the framework 15 of the'apparatus and extend such distance past the adjacent sprocket wheel 18, that the weight of a car wheel will not be deposited upon a chain link 22 until the rollers at both ends of said link have entered upon the bottom flanges of the channels 23 and 24.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination'with a chain rail conveyer for flanged wheels, of a track approach having a rail head portion spaced from and in approximately longitudinal alinement with the chain rail and having a portion for supporting a wheel flange when the wheel is passing across the space between the chain rail and said rail head portion. 2. The combination with a chain rail conveyer for flanged wheels, of a track approach having a rail head portion spaced from and in approximately longitudinal alinement with the chain rail and having a portion for supporting a wheel flange when the wheel is passing across the space between the chain rail and said rail head portion, the said flange supporting portion extending alongside theadjacent flight of the chain rail for a substantial distance.

3. The combination with a chain rail conveyer for flanged wheels of a track approach having a rail head portion spaced from and in approximately longitudinal alinement with the chain rail and having a p ortionfor supporting a wheel flange when the wheel is passing across the space betwe the chain rail a d s d ail head por tion, and means for supporting the forward extremity of said flange-supporting portion independentlyof the chain rail.

at. The combination with a pair of conveyer chains provided with rail head sections, of a track approach having a rail head portion spaced from and in approximately longitudinal alinement with one flight of each of said chains, and a wheel; flange supporting member extending from each rail head portion to a 'point at the inner side of each chain, the said supporting members serving to support and guide the car wheels-passing across the space between chain rail sections and said rail head portions. I i I F 5. The combination witha pair *of movable tracks for flanged wheels, of rail approaches having rail head portionsspaced fromsaid tracks, and rigidly mounted wheel-flange supporting members each disposed adjacent to one side of one of the tracks and serving to bridge the'spacebetween adjacent ends of said tracks and rail heads. 7

6. The combination with a pair of movable tracks for flanged wheels, of rail approaches having rail head portions spaced from said tracks, and wheel-flange supporting members each disposed-adjacent to one side of one of the tracks and serving to bridge the space between adjacent ends of said tracks and rail heads, the said rail heads having portions of reduced width extending alongside of theflange-supporting members and disposed alongside of the ,movable tracks. 7

7. Car transfer apparatus comprising a conveyer chain composed of links each provided with a rail head section, a pair of guide wheels around which said chain passes, a link-supporting member between the wheels, and a track approach from which cars may be directedto said chains,

the said approach extending forwardly of the adjacent end of said supporting member a distance not materially less than the length of a link.

8. Car transfer apparatuscomprising a conveyer chain composed of links each provided with a rail head section, guide wheels around which said chain passes, a link-supporting member between the' wl1eels, a track approachffrom which cars may be directed to said chains, the said approach extending forwardly of the adjacent end of said supporting membera distance not materially less than the length of a link, and means for supporting the'forward end ofsaid approach independently of said chains. 7

9. The combination with a pair of longitudinally movable tracks for car-wheels and the like, of a pair ofrail appr0aches,.each

a pair of having a rail head portion whose forward end is of reduced width and is disposed alongside of one of said movable tracks.

10. The combination with a chain rail conveyer, of a fixed track rail disposed in substantially longitudinal alinement with one filght of said chain rail, and a narrowed wheel-supporting extension assoclated with said fixed rail and extending for a substantial distance alongside of said chain flight,

said extension serving to support a Vehicle during transfer from the fixed rail to the chain rail. 7

In testimony whereof I the said LOUIS E. ENDsLEY have hereunto set my hand.

LOUIS E. ENDSLEY. 

